Romania upset top-ranked China to win women's team epee gold

Romania collected its first gold medal of the Rio Olympics by beating defending champion China in the final of women's epee team here on Thursday.

The Romanian quartet of Loredana Dinu, Simona Gherman, Simona Pop, Ana Maria Popescu triumphed over China by a score of 44-38, making a revenge for the loss at the World Championships in Moscow last year.

"It's an amazing day. We dreamed (about) this day for such a long time, and now we did it. We just did it. Can you believe it?" said Popescu.

China had the opportunity to become the second country to win back-to-back gold medals in the women's epee team, after Russia did it at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

"It can give us a mission. It will give us a new step and a new direction to try our best," said Xu Anqi.

Popescu built up a 14-9 lead for Romania when she faced up Hao Jialu, who replaced injured Sun Yiwen. After Gherman and Dinu extended the lead to 24-16, Romania never looked back.

"We are so proud because we worked so hard. I've been fencing since I was 11, so now I'm 32 I managed to win a gold medal, it's a dream come true," Gherman said.

Russia pocketed its fifth fencing medal with with a 37-31 victory over Estonia in the bronze medal match.

"Everybody is really happy because we have a medal. Yes, it's not gold, but it's gold to us," said Tatiana Lagunova. Endit